Aaron Glenn’s first months in charge of the Jets have been messy, and the conversation around him has been just as loud. The clock issues keep coming up.
So do the questions about how he handles the public side of the job. But after New York pushed Detroit all the way in a Week 3 shootout, Dan Campbell offered a very different kind of verdict.
Campbell, who once worked with Glenn and now faces his own scrutiny in Detroit, came away impressed with what he saw. After the game, he made it clear he believes Glenn has the Jets moving in the right direction.
The Jets lost on Sunday, but it was hardly a throwaway performance. On the road against a more talented Lions team, with injuries cutting into the roster, New York still had the ball late with a chance to win under a minute remaining. That alone says something about how far the group has come.
The defense did enough when it mattered, helping the Jets climb out of a 14-point second-half hole. On offense, the big plays were there too, with Geno Smith throwing for 321 yards and Kenyon Sadiq and Garrett Wilson combining for 212 receiving yards. It was the kind of game where multiple parts of the operation were working at once.
Detroit ultimately had the final answer, driving for the winning touchdown just before the two-minute warning. Still, the Jets left enough on the field to earn respect. Glenn’s team, for all the criticism around him, has been competitive through three games.
Campbell said as much when he spoke about the way the Jets played against his Lions. He said New York gave Detroit "all we can handle" and put the credit on Glenn.
"They take on the identity of that coach."
Coach Campbell opens his postgame press conference sharing his respect for Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets pic.twitter.com/lNmiFWN8A6
- Detroit Lions (@Lions) September 27, 2026
"That team gave use all we can handle... They played hard, they take on the identity of that head coach, which is a credit to him."
Dan Campbell
That praise lands because Campbell knows the assignment better than almost anyone. He and Glenn are chasing the same kind of turnaround, trying to drag franchises long defined by failure toward a Super Bowl. Campbell has already helped change the temperature in Detroit, so when he says Glenn’s team reflects its coach, that carries weight.
He also didn’t need to be that generous. Sure, it was a postgame nod to a former friend and employee, but it still came after the Jets had made his team work for everything. If New York hadn’t pushed the Lions to the edge, Campbell wouldn’t have had much reason to say it.
In Other News...
Jets Suddenly Have A Bigger Breece Hall Problem
The Jets were already scrambling in Week 3 against the Lions without several key starters, and the injury list only grew from there. One of the biggest concerns came when Breece Hall went out with a thigh injury, forcing New York to adjust on the fly in a game where depth was already being tested.
Hall sounded unsure afterward about just how serious the issue might be, which is where the real concern starts for the Jets. Braelon Allen handled the lead-back role once Hall exited, but for a team trying to piece together its offense through injuries, any uncertainty around Hall carries obvious weight going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Aaron Glenn Just Gave Jets Fans Their Most Encouraging Sign Yet
The Jets left Detroit with a loss, but there were clear signs of a team starting to look more organized under Aaron Glenn. Against a Lions squad that can overwhelm opponents, New York stayed competitive throughout a 31-24 defeat in Week 3, and the little details were better too. Situational awareness and clock management, both areas that have hurt this group before, were noticeably sharper even as the roster dealt with injuries and a talent gap.
Geno Smiths afternoon also offered a real reason for optimism. He completed 31 of 37 passes for 320 yards and three touchdowns, giving the Jets the kind of efficient, productive quarterback play that can keep them in games if the rest of the operation continues to clean itself up. For a team still trying to establish Glenns standard, the result was disappointing, but the process looked more like progress than setback. [Read more 🡒]
Jets Have A Bigger Olu Fashanu Question Than Fans Wanted
Olu Fashanus early-season work at left tackle has become one of the more important subplots around the Jets, and not just because the pass protection has been uneven. Through the first stretch of the 2026 season, Fashanu has already given up multiple pressures and sacks, a rough opening that echoes the slow start he had last year. For a team still trying to stabilize its offense, the left edge is not the place where uncertainty feels especially comfortable.
What makes the situation more pressing is the calendar. The Jets will have to make a fifth-year option decision on Fashanu this offseason, which gives his 2026 performance added weight beyond the usual week-to-week grading. There is still room for his play to trend upward, and the team will be betting on that kind of growth, but the margin for a prolonged struggle is thinner now than it was when the season began. [Read more 🡒]